Nakamura Shikan As Kaminari Shōkurå

Utagawa Kunisada (Japanese, 1786-1864)

中村芝翫 as Kaminari Shōkurō 雷庄九郎 from Set of Five Great Men (Gonin otoko soroi no yukata) 五人男揃浴衣

The most chivalrous, principled and honorable leaders among them became true folk heroes, and the tragedies and victories of their lives were dramatized on the kabuki stage. Called otokodate ("manly paragons"), they stood for opposing the strong and helping the weak, willing to sacrifice their lives in the cause of righteousness.